Two Pairs of Boots ............. and four paws!

Friday, 4 January 2013

Cwm Eigiau Horseshoe

Starting in a remote and little visited area of the Carneddau, this grand circuit of Cwm Eigiau ranks as one of the classic walks of Wales, boasting soaring ridges, narrow aretes, high mountains and stunning landscapes.....that is what the guidebook said of todays walk.... and it wasn't wrong. This is one of the finest walks that we have both been on, the landscape is stunning, rugged and remote, and add to that the fantastic weather we had today, made it one we will remember for a long time. As well as being a fantastic walk I can think of no other walk that includes two summits with such unusual names - Pen yr Helgi Du (Hill of the Black Hound) and Pen Llithrig y Wrach (Hill of the Slippery Witch)! Fantastic names don't you think but no idea why they are called that - lots of photos today and a real job to select the best, but here goes, we hope you enjoy reliving our day with us.

Todays route map below, it was 17km or 10.5miles, and with 1056m or 3465ft of ascent.

The first sight of where we were walking today, Cwm Eigiau, as we arrive not long after first light.

Beautiful Carneddau ponies

From Pant Y Gnafolen looking down towards the Dulyn reservoir

Wild Carneddau Ponies

Heading for Carnedd Llewelyn

Sharon and Holly with Melynllyn behind them

Pen Yr Helgi Du (Peak of the Black Hound)

Cloud coming in over Pen Yr Helgi Du and Pen Llithrig Y Wrach

Carnedd Llewelyn, the 3rd highest mountain in England and Wales

Still pockets of snow behind Sharon

Sharon and Holly on a new summit.... Foel Grach, one of the Welsh 3000's

Taking a break at the Foel Grach, emergency summit shelter

looking towards Yr Elen from Foel Grach

Sharon and Holly sillouetted against the cloud

Leaving Carnedd Llewelyn and heading towards the stunning ridge walk to Pen Yr Helgi Du

Sharon and Holly playing in the snow!!

The cloud was rolling around all day, but stayed away from us!!

Ffonnon Llugwy

Sharon points out...upwards!!

Holly enjoying the scrambling, or rather coming down to find an easier way up

Tryfan looking very mysterious

Holly the black hound, on top of the peak of the Black Hound (Pen Yr Helgi Du)

Sharon racing to the top of Pen Llithrig Y Wrach

and taking a well earned break

A Brocken Spectre

Looking down towards Llyn Eigiau, and our route back to the car

looking back at the ridge we followed, now very much cloaked in cloud

As we passed Llyn Eigiau we couldn't help but notice the broken dam wall which burst after heavy rainfall back in 1925, flooding the Coedty reservoir further down the valley, which also burst, sending millions of gallons of water onto the village of Dolgarrog and killing 17 people. It made us think of those poor lives that were lost, very sad.

The view from the same spot as this mornings first photo

Tuesday, 1 January 2013

First walk of 2013...Conwy Mountain.

A great walk to start our walking adventures for the New Year, we had intended on driving into Snowdonia for our first 2013 walk, but last night we saw the new year in from the top of Moel Famau, this is going to become an annual tradition for us, there were 100's up there last night, and no better place to be on New Years eve.... anyway we didnt get to bed until 2am so an early start was out of the question.

So we decided on a shorter drive to Conwy, and head up onto Conwy Mountain, and have a wander across to Penmaen-bach, then onto Alltwen.

We had Holly the water dog with us as usual today, she loved her swim in the Conwy Estuary, and again we were treated to seeing Carneddau Ponies, these beautiful little ponies that roam the hills in this part of Wales.

The start of our walk by Conwy Castle